At U.S. Bank, we take great care to protect your personal information. Strict policies and procedures are in place to ensure your account information is kept confidential. Only authorized signers (an authorized signer is the name of the account holder as it appears on the card) can access account information.

We will never request your U.S. Bank Personal Password. We strongly suggest that you do not share this information with anyone under any circumstances. Be wary of emails or individuals who ask for such information, as sharing your Personal ID and Password will provide the recipient with full access to your account.

IMPORTANT: If you're a U.S. Bank customer and have replied to such an email, please immediately call the U.S. Bank Fraud Liaison Center toll-free at 877-595-6256 and forward the email to us at fraud_help@usbank.com.

What is Identity Theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone acquires key pieces of another person's identity with the intent to commit fraud. Information such as name, date of birth, social security number, mother's maiden name, etc., can help a criminal impersonate another individual. Once this person has access to this information, they can commit different kinds of fraud, including accessing bank accounts, obtaining loans, making purchases, renting apartments, etc.

How Does It Happen?
Identity theft can happen to anyone, regardless of whether or not you use the Internet. In fact, experts say your mailbox and garbage are the easiest ways criminals can access your personal information.

Who Does It Affect?
Identity theft can happen to anyone in hundreds of different ways. It's the fastest growing crime facing every citizen. Identity theft is a felony crime; however, police cannot help with your credit record or undo the damage that has been done. Delayed discovery of identity theft and the various ways criminals can now gain access to your personal information, can complicate a criminal investigation. Proper precautions with your information are the best protection.

How U.S. Bank Protects You
Your protection is the highest priority for us. Our state-of-the-art tools and monitoring system ensure your identity is safe.

Verification: when you change an address, for example, we request specific information about you to verify your identity before making any changes.

Fraud detection: we have account-monitoring tools that recognize ID theft. We regularly receive information about known fraudulent addresses and phone numbers, and we compare them to new account requests and account changes.

Communication: we contact you regarding any suspicious activity associated with your U.S. Bank account(s).

Bill Pay: a fast, easy and totally secure way to receive, pay and manage bills Online from the convenience of your PC. Learn more.

How You Can Avoid Being Victimized
Minimize your risk by completing the following steps:

Change all passwords regularly, using a mix of numbers and characters. Memorize your passwords and write them down only in a secure place.

Never share your U.S. Bank Personal Password with anyone. Be wary of emails or individuals who ask for such information. U.S. Bank will never ask for your Personal Password via email or telephone. Sharing your Password will provide the recipient with full access to your account if they have your Personal ID or Account Number.

Guard your PIN at ATMs. Never write the number down anywhere in your purse or wallet.

Never provide personal information over the phone unless you initiated contact or know with whom you are speaking to. Ask how your personal information will be used and protected and whether the information you're asked to provide is voluntary or mandatory to complete the transaction.

Do not put outgoing mail in your home mailbox to be picked up. Take it to a postal box.

Don't use your credit card number on the Internet unless the site has a secured, encrypted system (look for "HTTPS" in the URL or the lock icon in the corner of your screen).

Make a list of your credit card and bank account numbers, along with customer service numbers, and keep it in a safe place.

Shred all personal documents and unwanted mail. Criminals often work in groups going through garbage.

Have your checks delivered to your bank or post office box, not your home address.

Sign up to receive and pay bills automatically Online instead of by mail.

Monitor your bank and credit card statements every month. Be aware of billing cycles; if you miss receiving a bill, it can be an indication that your credit card company has received a change of address from someone other than you.

Order a credit report from all three agencies twice per year and review them carefully. Report any discrepancies in writing to each credit agency and explain the situation.

Call the three main credit bureaus to get copies of your credit report (see the numbers below). With the bureau's help, add fraud flags and statements to your report saying that all potential creditors should contact you to verify credit applications.

After contacting your phone company about unauthorized long distance charges, contact the Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau or call 888-225-5322 if you are still having difficulty removing fraudulent charges from your account.

If you have been victimized, it is imperative that you do the following:

Law Enforcement: contact law enforcement to file a police report. Record the police department name and case number.

Credit Agencies: you are entitled to a free credit report if you are the victim of identity theft, have been denied credit, receive welfare or are unemployed. Contact one of the following credit reporting agencies to report the fraud and ask about putting a fraud alert on your record: